Dong Qiangqiang's Story of Leaving Germany

Chapter 1146. The moon is waning but its light remains bright, the sword is broken but its strength remains strong

Zheng Chunhua was a little surprised to hear Dong Qiangqiang's calm tone, which was much more stable than the phone call yesterday. She was thinking that she might have to comfort and encourage Dong Qiangqiang, but it seemed that there was no need.

"I heard from Fang Shuang that although you two are not in the same major, you have the same exam. She said that this semester the professor has returned to the same professor as before. Everyone generally feels that the class is difficult, and many people did not pass (the exam). She also passed by luck, so you don't have to take it too seriously."

"Well, thanks for the encouragement. I won't dwell on it anymore. I have to prepare for the make-up exam."

"That's right," Zheng Chunhua said happily, "I was worried that you would be depressed like last winter. Haha, I didn't expect that you were in good shape. I was worrying too much..."

"The sadness will pass after a while, what else can I do? Besides, didn't you say it? This is my first result. I can just take the test again next semester." Dong Qiangqiang said lightly.

"I guessed that's what you were planning. Okay, it's a good thing that you're not depressed. Go to bed early. I wish you good luck on your make-up exam. Oh, by the way, Boss Wanfu Li just said that no one answered your call. You should call him back if you can."

"It's so late, why don't you sleep?" Dong Qiangqiang glanced at the watch. It was still half an hour before midnight.

"He's reinstalling his computer over there, so he probably won't go to bed that early."

Zheng Chunhua's analysis was correct. Boss Li really hadn't rested when Dong Qiangqiang called.

"Xiao Dong, your water pump helped a lot this time. The water was drained quickly and smoothly, so the subsequent renovations were not delayed. I will ask for a more powerful water pump from the supermarket next door. In the future, no matter how big the flood is, I will not be afraid of it." Boss Li Fupu's voice was clear and loud. He seemed to be in a very good mood, and it seemed that he was not affected too much by the flood.

"I heard that you have started to renovate. Congratulations. This means the reopening date won't be far away, right?" Dong Qiangqiang said what the other party wanted to hear.

Boss Li was delighted to hear this: "Yes, luckily I bought house insurance this time, and the insurance company compensated me, so the financial loss was not that great. In addition, there were still a lot of materials left after the renovation in the summer, so I didn't need to buy too many new ones. I asked the master to come and reinstall it quickly. Thanks to your good wishes, I hope to reopen in mid-September at the latest, otherwise I can't stand it if it's always closed. Hey, Xiao Dong, you and Xiao Zheng must come to support me when the shop reopens. By the way, call all your classmates and friends, Chinese and foreign, too. It will be lively and festive with more people. You know it's important to have a good start in our business."

"Of course, Boss Li, even if you didn't say so, I would still go to show my support, just because you supported us so much during the last China Week and supported the domestic fight against SARS. We will all remember your efforts. When the time comes, just notify me in advance and I will be responsible for recruiting people." Dong Qiangqiang's words were not flattery, but came from the bottom of his heart.

"There is one more thing. SARS is over, and I see that there are more tour groups to the city's scenic spots. I know that Mr. Bai has many tour groups. If anyone goes to Trier and Luxembourg in the future, they must come to Wanfu for a visit. Coming here is like going home. I guarantee that they will be satisfied with the food and drinks and have a great time."

"That's no problem. I'll agree on behalf of Mr. Bai. Whenever a group passes through Trier, we'll be the first choice, just like we did in Hamburg."

"Hehe, if you say that, I'll take it seriously." Seeing that Dong Qiangqiang understood what he meant, Boss Li smiled from ear to ear. "Okay, I have something else to do here. When you have time, come to the store and we can talk."

"Boss Li, I'd like to ask you for help with something. Is that convenient for you?" Dong Qiangqiang said carefully.

The other party had just agreed to his request. Even if it was inconvenient, Boss Li would not stop Dong Qiangqiang from asking for it. The worst that could happen was that he would just disagree.

"Don't be so polite, just say it."

"Not only you have suffered from this flood, but many local wine merchants have also suffered heavy losses. You know that many wines were stored in cellars, and they were all soaked when the flood came. In order to reduce losses, they are selling this batch of flood wines at a discount. Do you think it is possible to put a few bottles in your store to help advertise for them? I am not asking you to pay for the wine. I have a few bottles in my hand. If you have no objection, I will take them and put them in your store when you reopen. This way, if someone who eats at the restaurant asks about it, you can sell it."

"You mean... let me help them sell the water-soaked wine?"

Dong Qiangqiang couldn't tell whether Boss Li was happy or not, so he said, "You're a new store, so of course your compatriots will support you, but German diners should be the main consumers. These wines are local specialties. Selling them can show your social responsibility and public spirit. On a larger scale, it can increase the favorability of German diners who come here to dine, and bring Wanfu closer to German diners. Besides, wine can be paired with seafood, so wouldn't it help you sell more dishes?"

Boss Li on the other end of the phone thought for a moment and asked directly, "Selling on behalf of others is fine. I admit that it is beneficial to me, but how is the sales commission calculated?"

"The exact percentage of commission will have to be discussed with different wine merchants in person. This is something that only you can negotiate. You just said that there is still some time before you close the business, so you can go and discuss this. Even if we fail to reach an agreement in the end, you won't suffer any loss."

Boss Li thought about it and realized that this was indeed the case. As a poor student, Dong Qiangqiang really couldn't make the final decision for either party. It was good enough that he could help to make the connection. "Who should I contact or who should contact me?"

"I know a local wine merchant. I will talk to him. If he agrees (to cooperate), I will ask him to contact you. I need to let you know first and I will give him your mobile phone number. If you and him can reach an agreement, I strongly recommend that you contact the winemaking association responsible for all local wine merchants through him. In this way, you can sell more brands of wine, and you don't have to sell only Hongshui wine. You can sell good wine as well. You don't have to limit yourself to Trier. You can also sell it in Wanfu stores in Hamburg or other places. It depends on how you want to arrange it."

"Then go ahead and ask. If the other party is interested, remember to let me know in advance so that I don't forget."

Although the matter was not settled yet and he could not make any profit from it, Dong Qiangqiang felt a sense of accomplishment when he thought about possibly facilitating cooperation between Boss Li and Peter and helping both sides, and fell asleep with excitement.

Li Lei's scheduled time for a talk without class was 9:30. Dong Qiangqiang thought that 9 o'clock would be more than enough time for him to arrive at the university. However, Li Lei pulled him up before 7 o'clock, and they arrived at the empty university before 8 o'clock.

The university is silent in the morning. No matter how noisy and bustling it is outside, as soon as you step into the campus, you will naturally be surrounded by the tranquil atmosphere of books.

The library opened at 8 o'clock sharp. Li Lei continued to look at the concepts he had not finished yet. It was definitely too late to memorize them, so he could only get familiar with them first. Dong Qiangqiang went to the computer room to help Duanmu send his reports.

The agreed time soon arrived. Before entering the office, Dong Qiangqiang encouraged Li Lei again. He felt more nervous than when he was exempted from class, as if he saw himself back then.

Only after Li Lei entered the office with great trepidation did Dong Qiangqiang relax.

He walked towards the library and called Peter on the way to ask him what he thought about releasing Hong Shui wine into Wanfu Restaurant. Peter had no objection to having another distributor, and the commission for Wanfu should be the same as that for other distributors. Seeing that the other party had no objection, Dong Qiangqiang gave him the phone number of Boss Li and asked them to discuss it on their own. At the same time, he informed Boss Li by phone.

Before he even stepped into the library door, his parents called him unexpectedly.

6◇9◇Book◇Bar

"How are you, Qiangqiang? Your dad asked me to ask you, apart from what was said the other day, are the results of other subjects out? Old man, please sit further away and don't make any noise. I can't hear my son talking because of your nagging." The phone could be heard from Dong's mother's low complaints and a mosquito-like humming voice asking her to ask more questions quickly.

Dong Qiangqiang originally wanted to wait until the make-up exam was over before reporting to his parents, but he didn't expect his parents to be so anxious. It's not hard to understand, because he had boasted so much before. The ancient saying that keeping things secret is true, but if you brag without real ability, you will only get slapped in the face.

Although he had already accepted the fact that he had failed the exam and felt that failing the exam was no longer a big deal, when the time came, he was still somewhat confused and hesitant. Should he tell his parents a white lie as he did before, or tell the truth?

He pursed his lips and made a decision in an instant: "Mom, Dad, I took five subjects this time, three were excellent, one was good, and one failed. I will take the make-up exam next week."

“Ah?” Dong’s mother’s joy suddenly died down. She turned her head to look at Dong’s father who was looking at her expectantly. “My son just said that he failed one of his subjects?”

"Yes, I've looked at the paper and talked to the professor. I'll have a make-up exam next week." He repeated himself, mentally preparing himself for the storm.

The silence on the other end of the phone made him feel uneasy, but he did not hear the rage and complaints as he had imagined, nor did he hear the sound of the phone being thrown in anger. Just when he wanted to say something but didn't know what to say, it was Dong's mother who spoke first with sobs.

"Son, I'm sorry to have caused you trouble. I shouldn't have let you run back last time." Dong's mother didn't blame her son at all. Instead, she took all the blame on herself.

"Mom, my failure has nothing to do with you, and it has nothing to do with my going back home during the holidays. This semester started in April, and I failed the course purely because I didn't understand the exam requirements and made some stupid mistakes. But now I understand everything, and I will definitely not make the same mistake again in the future."

There was a rustling sound in the receiver and Dong Qiangqiang heard a familiar cough. He knew that his father, who had been silent all this time, was finally going to appear.

"My child, we don't understand things about studying. Since you know where the problem is, we won't nag you. Your parents just want to tell you: It's not easy for you to be out there alone. It's normal to encounter some setbacks and difficulties, but as a man, you can't be defeated by temporary difficulties. You must get up where you fell. Only a man with no future will deny and doubt himself and easily change his goals because of one or two failures. Finally, your father will give you a sentence. I read this from a foreign book recently. It is very philosophical. I will share it with you: Don't judge your every day by what you harvest, but by what you sow. Mom and dad believe in you. Come on, my son, we are waiting for your good news."

This time, Dong's father didn't say a single harsh word or criticism, but full of positive encouragement, which was so unusual that Dong Qiangqiang was not used to it. Especially the last sentence made his nose sore and almost cried. He almost blurted out a new boast: "Mom and Dad, I promise that there will be no problems with the make-up exam again."

I must not fail again this time, he said to himself.